Through The Ages
by Aiko Hiroki12
Summary: The titans are long extinct, and everybody Eren knew is long gone. Destined to forever walk the Earth, he lives in secret because of his inability to die. He lost everybody he loves, and he's lost track of the decades, but he never lost the hope of seeing his loved ones again. Main: Ereri. Others: pretty much everybody else.
1. Prolouge

Prologue : More Than Anything in the World.

I just started writing, and now I have this story idea. Please don't kill me. This is an SnK fanfic…it's pretty…SnK…if you get what I mean…Anys…tell me what you think!

Warning: It's SnK…is a warning needed? AU

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters…just wish I did…

"Men love because they are afraid of themselves, afraid of the loneliness that lives in them, and need someone in whom they can lose themselves as smoke loses itself in the sky." ~V.F. Calverton

* * *

It had been sixty years since the titans had dotted the landscape in carnivorous masses with a taste for human flesh. Titan shifters were encased in blue crystals, forever sleeping in peaceful quiet. They encased themselves, fearing what would happen to them once they were captured, and they were right to do so. Only one titan shifter was still alive, still walking around on the Earth.

Eren Jaeger.

Quickly after the titans had all been slaughtered, the hot-blooded youth had willingly given himself up after the last titan shifter was encased in crystal. He could never harden his skin. Crystallization was impossible. The boy willingly went to his fate: execution by firing squad. He was 17, and the last thing he saw was his captain, Levi, shedding silent tears beside his commander before a black cotton bag was slipped over his head. The last thing he heard was the sound of guns, about ten, shooting at him. The last thing he felt was a bullet embed itself into his forehead.

And then, all was still. He saw black, and there was no pain. He didn't think about anything other than his captain. The captain he had loved so much.

In the sudden calm, Eren took a deep breath of the afterlife, a place he was willing to go to as long as it meant that titans would never walk the Earth again. He breathed again, then his eyes shot open. He saw the black, but little speck of light all around him. It didn't take long to feel the rough cotton against his face and breathe hot, stuffy air that it held. He could feel the bullets being pushed from his skin, and it was painful, but the pain eased after a moment, and then he could feel the warm metal bullet resting on his forehead. He heard the bullets that had been shot in him dropping to the cobblestone ground, and then people gasping. Eren lifted his head and sighed. He had a feeling this wouldn't have worked. Suddenly, the bag was pulled from his head, and he winced from the sudden light.

He first looked at his captain, who still had tears rolling down his face, but he seemed happier than he was shocked. Eren had never seen the man smile so brightly, but his smile quickly faded. Eren looked behind him and saw a tall man who was looking at the king. He nodded, and then removed a knife from his belt.

"By order of the king, Eren Jaeger is to be put to death. Any method shall do as long as he does not see tomorrow. Firing squad: failed. I will know try to sever his jugular."

Eren felt a cool metal blade press into his neck, and then rip across his skin. He could feel the pull the blade had on his veins and trachea. His blood spilled out over his shirt, and he could feel the warm liquid drip off his fingertips. For a moment, all was black, but in no time, he was breathing again and looking around. He found his captain, but he was looking away, tears streaming down his face. Eren understood. It was hard enough for the man to watch Eren's death the first time, but he had to watch it over and over again. He had to watch the green-eyed love of his be tortured and killed over and over, each time not knowing if it would be the last. The fear, the relief, and then the fear again. The pain and anguish that Eren was causing the captain made him just want to die, but even Eren didn't know if he could die. None of the titan shifters had died. They were still alive, just encased in permanent unbreakable crystals.

For hours, people watched as Eren was torn to shreds, but still healed and lived again. For hours, Eren stared at his captains tear stained face. For hours on end, Eren died and came back and died and came back, again and again, over and over, until the executioners had given up and the king had become bored.

The king stood, coughing a bit, and all the citizens looked at him.

"Eren shall be permitted to live. It seems only old age may kill him. Nobody is to speak of this matter ever again. Anybody who does shall be put to death." He said, turning away. A law-keeper shouted off to the side 'And so the king decrees, and so it must be done.'

Everybody began to file out of the square, and the first person to Eren was Levi, running as fast as he could. He hurriedly embraced him, slamming their lips together. Eren was struck with a sense of happiness.

Levi pulled away and rested his forehead on the brunette's, closing his blood-shot eyes. "Don't you ever do that again, Eren. You hear, that's an order." Levi said.

Eren smiled a bit. He knew the military was about to be disbanded, and a new military would be in place. Levi would no longer have the command he used to. The survey corps original mission would never return. But that didn't matter.

"Yes, Captain."

Levi would always be captain to Eren, and captain to Eren did he stay, sixty years after the end of the Titan Era. Levi was eighty-five, and he was nearly crippled. The sudden lack of fighting had made his bones weak, and he hadn't been able to properly walk for thirty years. He lay in a bed, holding Eren's hand.

"Eren."

Eren shushed his captain, a tear running down his face. He held onto the wrinkled hand tightly, but not tight enough to hurt his love. "Don't speak. Conserve your strength Captain."

"I'm eighty-five, Eren."

"You don't look so good for an eighty-five year old Captain." Eren said, smiling softly. It hurt him. Smiling hurt him.

"Well, you look great for being seventy-five." Levi smiled, reaching his free hand up to caress Eren's cheek. He paused, wiping away a tear from the soft skin. "Why are you crying Eren?" Levi asked. He began to rub small circles on Eren's arm, feeling the smoothness.

Eren shook a bit. "Because all I wanted to do was to grow old with you Captain, and I didn't!" Eren stammered as he cried.

Levi looked up at his love. He smiled. Eren had stopped aging at twenty. Levi smiled. He knew Eren loved him. He had stayed with Levi despite his aging form. Levi had grown old, gotten wrinkles, and been pushed around in a wheel-chair for the last half of his life. It was fine at first. It had only been a ten year age gap, and nobody had a problem. But Eren stopped aging. Others soon mistook Levi for Eren's father, then grandfather, then great-grandfather, and he knew that it killed Eren on the inside. With every passing day, Levi gained a wrinkle, and Eren's face stayed the same.

But Eren always stayed. He loved his captain, and his captain loved him.

Levi smiled, shakily bringing Eren's hand up to kiss it. The skin was soft against his chapped lips.

Eren sobbed even harder. "I haven't been able to make love with you for twenty years because all I can think about is you growing old and me just staying the same. I feel inept and nothing can fix that because I can't age with you!" Eren shook, putting his forehead onto Levi's bed.

Levi smiled. "You aren't inept. You're perfect Eren. So what if you can't age. So what if we can't make love. You are you and I love you no matter what, old or young, aging or not. You are you, and you are beautiful to me no matter what." Eren only sobbed harder. Levi sighed a bit. "Eren." He said, using his commanding voice for the first time in a while.

Eren looked up at Levi, tears streaming down his face. "Yes, captain?" Eren didn't blink as he looked at the wrinkled, small love of his life right into his dark eyes. He could see the years sparkle in the man's eyes. All of the pain and anguish. All of the fighting. All the happiness. All the wisdom. All the love. All the moments that they spent with each other. The struggle, the heartache, the love, the perfection in the imperfections.

Levi smiled. "I love you." He said. He could feel his vision fading a bit. "I love you with all of my heart, more than anything in this world, and more than anybody would ever be able to comprehend." With the last of his strength, he pulled Eren into his arms. "I love you."

Eren stifled his sobs into Levi's shoulder. "I love you too Captain" he paused. "Levi. I love you Levi. So much. I love you." He was sobbing. "I love you. I love you. I love you." He kept repeating it over and over and over, tears streaming down his face.

Slowly, he could feel Levi's chest still, and his arms lost their strength. Levi breathed out a last, "I love you, Eren." And then he was still.

"I love you too, Captain." Eren sobbed. He knew that Levi heard him. He could feel it in his soul, that Levi heard him. Hearing was always the last to go.

He pulled back and looked at the still form of his captain. He looked so peaceful, so honest. He had died with a smile on his face.

Levi had definitely heard Eren.

* * *

So, hope you liked it! Reminder that I don't really know where this story is leading us, I just have a general idea. Please rate and review because it really helps me with where I want the story to go or things I should add or change. Thank you so much for reading! This chapter has 1,815 words. Not long, but good for a prologue. Anys! Please rate and review! See you for Chapter 1: What My Life Has Become!


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: What My Life Has Become

Hey! First Chapter! Thanks to everybody who read and reviewed. I know it's hard to read a story when you know it's incomplete, but you still did, and I thank you. Anys, here's chapter two!

Warning: Nothing yet, but it is still rated M

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine.

"The illimitable, silent, never-resting thing called Time, rolling, rushing on, swift, silent, like an all-embracing ocean-tide, on which we and all the universe swim like exhalations, like apparitions which are, and then are not..." ~Thomas Carlyle

* * *

Eren stood in a graveyard. He was staring at a headstone that read _Emma Williams –Cherished daughter and loving mother of three- In our hearts forever you will stay. _Eren wasn't mad, per say, staring at the headstone of this woman. He had been to the funeral for this woman about ten years ago, and he had seen the pain in the faces of her friends, the tears of her children and her husband. No. Eren could not find anger with the woman. All he could feel was sadness.

Because her grave was where Levi's used to be.

Eighty years after Levi's death, the graveyard owners dug up the decomposed coffin and made room for a new one. The first replacement had a name that was not even memorable. Not like his captain. Eren had only lived through four grave replacements, but he never wanted to go through it again. It was useless though. He would live through an infinite amount of grave replacements. He would lose count eventually.

Eren bent down and touched the grass for a moment, running his fingers slowly over the soft blades of grass. It seemed like only yesterday that he had witnessed his captains coffin being lowered into the ground. It seemed like only yesterday he stood there, hearing others give condolences to Eren, the only known family member: the great grandchild. It seemed like only yesterday he stood at the first replacement funeral, then the second, the third, fourth. It seemed like only yesterday that he had felt his captain's fingers trace over his stomach. It seemed like only yesterday he had tasted his captain's lips.

But it was so long ago.

It had been centuries since he had felt his captain's skin.

Eren sadly smiled to himself. "I guess I outlived you captain." He softly whispered to the ground. "But I guess we always knew that. We just tried to ignore it." He paused for a moment. "I still love you, Captain. I'm still waiting for you. I just don't know how much longer I can keep visiting you like this." He sighed. "I love you."

Eren stood, glancing at the ground one more time. He could practically smell the rain that had fallen on his captain's funeral. Feel the way the grass had clung to his knees. The way the rain had masked the never-ending stream of tears.

"Hey! Young man!" Eren stood up and looked around. He looked behind him and saw an old man, much shorter than him and a bit crippled. "What are you doing here?" the man asked.

"Just visiting a loved one." Eren said, smiling at the man. He had learned long ago how to feign his happiness. "I was just leaving."

The man looked at Eren as he turned around to leave. "Wait." The man said. Eren stopped, and turned, looking at the man again. "There's a legend around here. That every year, on this day, a young boy would appear to grieve the loss of his great grandfather, but he never aged throughout those years. Some say that the boy was much older than he looked and maybe he and the man were something more." The man looked at the grave. "According to legend, he attacked the grave keeper who first replaced the grave. He's said to be angry and violent, but he did not attack me. I wonder why. Do you know why?"

Eren turned. He looked at the man and softly smiled. He could never return to this location again, and he knew it. This grave keeper knew too much. "Maybe because he stopped blaming the grave keepers for his loved ones death. Maybe instead of being angry at others, he decided to just remember his love for what he was." With that, Eren turned.

"Young man." Eren turned back again. "You be safe out there. This world is unforgiving. Time has a tendency to repeat itself."

Eren just nodded, turning around, and left. He wished time would repeat itself. He really did. Then maybe he could embrace the love of his life once more. Maybe he could really be happy again.

He really could never visit the grave again, and he was sad, but now, he may finally find a way to live on. He may finally be able to let go.

And that was all he could think about as he walked down the street.

His captain's grave had been in a graveyard in Wall Sina, when the wall was actually standing. It was still bleak and old then, but now it was so new. That was the only way that he could describe it. Over time, buildings had shot into the sky and there were roads that twisted everywhere. He was always getting lost.

He missed the way the old things were. He didn't miss being a caged bird, stuck behind the walls, but he missed the culture that had seemed to just vanish. He had missed the way that streets weren't perfect. He missed the way the buildings seemed to smash together and the way the sun seemed to shimmer off the rooftops, coloring the cities in a tint of red and orange. Not a blood shimmer, but a metallic shimmer that made the city seem lifelike despite its caged nature.

He kept walking down the large street, avoiding bumping into random strangers. He stopped, turning and looking up at a familiar building. It had the same old design as from the Titan Era. Eren smiled a bit. It was his personal blast from the past.

The building had major interior renovations to make into an apartment building, but the outside had been left the same. He had always stayed in these kinds of apartments, rotating about every ten years.

He walked inside, turning left and then walking to the farthest door. He unlocked the door, pushing it open and flicking on the light. That was something that had always fascinated him. Electricity had been re-invented about two-hundred years ago, and humanity had become so dependent on it. Lights were brightening up rooms with such ease. Eren could pick up a phone and call somebody with no effort.

Not that he had anybody to call.

The room was bare except for the basic furniture. A couch, a table, a bookshelf. There was a small kitchen off to the side and a full sized bed on the far side. On one side of the bed was a door that led to a bathroom and on the other side was a door that led to a closet.

Eren heard a light tapping on his window and listened closely for a moment. Once he realized that it was rain, he walked to a window and opened it, letting the cool breeze blow in the outside scents. Rain was always beautiful to him. He and Levi had made love once in the rain. Sure, Levi got a cold afterwards, but it was worth it. It had made him so happy and he was able to care for Levi while he was sick. It was the first time he had done so.

But Eren had never smelled the rain the way he had during Levi's funeral, and from that time forward, that was all the rain smelled like. The sadness and sorrow of not having his captain in his life. He knew that Levi would return to him again, he just was never quite sure of how. He hadn't gone a day without thinking about Levi and how he could come back, but at the same time, how he couldn't come back. He had spent hours contemplating over what life was and what was at the end of everything, but he would never know. He would never die.

Eren finally closed the door to his apartment, placing his shoes neatly next to his other shoes. A short lifetime with Levi had affected years of Eren's life. He looked around at the bleak room. He wished it held the same look as what it would have all those years ago. He wished that they had never ended the titan era, even though it had saved millions of lives.

He walked in front of his coffee table, pausing to look where any normal person would put their TV. Hanging on the wall, surrounded by bookcases of many different books in many different languages, was a picture frame. The frame was a brown, but it shimmered red in light. It reminded Eren of the red rooftops that were so rare now. Rooftops of a bloodier, yet almost happier time to Eren. Inside the frame was an illustration done in a gray pencil. It was on a white parchment, safe behind the paintings glass. The illustration was of two men, one taller than the other. Both were smiling. The taller was holding the shorter from behind, resting his head softly on the other's. It made Eren smile for a moment. There was such joy in their eyes, but Eren couldn't be bothered with the taller boy. He stared at the shorter one with an intense love in his heart. It was the only picture that Eren and Levi had done together, and it was just after their wedding.

Levi looked so happy in Eren's arms. Even though Levi was the alpha, Eren always loved to pretend that he had the upper hand. It was just because of their height. Eren had grown, but he had peaked at 174 centimeters. He would always stay 174 centimeters. And when Levi grew old, he shrunk a bit. It was something that Eren might not have noticed if he had grown old too.

The picture was the only decoration in the apartment. It was the only thing Eren ever cared about and he would burn to ashes to save the picture. He sighed, making his way around the couch and to the kitchen. He needed to make some food.

Looking in the fridge, he got out some chicken and vegetables, planning on making soup. He pulled out knife and a cutting board and began chopping the vegetables. As he was chopping, he heard a knock at his door. It startled him, and he brought down the knife on his finger, chopping it clean off. It hurt, and it started bleeding, but in no time there was a red electricity that formed the tip of the finger and the old one evaporated into thin air along with the blood. Eren sighed.

What he would do to just die.

He moved to the door and opened it. There was a package sitting at the door. He tilted his head, curious as to what it could be. He didn't recall having placed an order for books.

Eren looked around, then back down at the crate. He shrugged his shoulders and began to pull on the crate. It was heavy, but not anything he couldn't handle. As he pulled, pieces of wood dug into his fingers, but he didn't bother stopping. In no time, the crate was in his apartment and the splinters were falling out of his fingers.

He pried open the box and looked inside. There was an envelope inside. Eren turned it over and opened it smoothly. He pulled some parchment out and opened it slowly. It was old, and in a language that was scarcely used today.

_Eren Jaeger,_

_I was informed by my great grandmother to give this to you once you once you returned to this complex. I will assume you are not the same person, but a descendent. However, I will give this to you in that ancestors stead. I was informed to write this letter in the olden' language of this land. Not many study this anymore, so good for you. Please keep this safe._

_Your landlord._

Eren closed the letter and looked in the box. Inside was another box, but this one was metal. He pulled out the box, setting it down on his coffee table. He pulled it open and saw a book. It was old, and the writing was from the Titan era. Eren furrowed his eyebrows. It wasn't something that he was used to seeing.

He opened it to the first page. The book cracked a bit, worn from never being used. The pages were stiff, and the binding was a bit brittle, but it was in good condition none the less. Eren let his eyes scan over the title.

_The Titan Era: A tale of survival, hardship, and faith._

_Lance Corporal Levi: Survey Corps_

Eren gasped a bit, shutting the book quickly. He wasn't expecting to see Levi's name, let alone his handwriting. Eren had read every book that was ever written about the Titan Era, but he hadn't seen this one. Eren assumed it was the only copy.

Quickly standing, he grabbed the book and put it neatly on the shelf. He wouldn't meddle in something that was long over. If he did, it could bring back the titans.

But at that thought, Eren paused, looking back at the book. No. It was impossible. He wasn't going to do it. But Eren couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen. He had to get out. He needed to just go think. So he turned around, grabbed his jacket, and left as he was pulling on his shoes.

He was just being an idiot. A 400 year old idiot, but an idiot.

* * *

Well, I've decided to do short chapters. It's easier for me and I'll be able to update sooner. I know that this one probably isn't as good, but I just want the story out there and I don't want to worry about length like I have before. Anys, please rate and review. This chapter was 2,444 pages! See ya'll next chapter!


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